Vicky Alvear Shecter

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Ancient Greece

The Greek God of the Underworld Awaits You!

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"Ever notice how people get my name and realm confused? Yeah, it irritates me, too."  -Hades Hades Speaks! A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead is officially out! The dark lord has a lot to say about his origins, his minions, and all the creepy nooks and crannies of his realm. "One Greek playwright described my realm as a 'mass of mire' and filled with … [Read more...] about The Greek God of the Underworld Awaits You!

Ancient Echoes of the Isla Vista Killer

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After the tragedy of the misogynist-driven killings in Isla Vista, I felt a little guilty about the lighthearted approach I took in a recent guest post about ancient curses. That’s because, when I reread one of the ancient spells, it suddenly sounded very much like the kind of “curse” the young mass-murdering misogynist might have made. First, some background. The ancient … [Read more...] about Ancient Echoes of the Isla Vista Killer

The Zany Genius of Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes

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Available now. Go. Read it!My teenage daughter happened to walk by as I opened the package containing this book. One look and she ripped it out of my hands, exclaiming, "OMG, this is awesome!""I know," I said. "The publisher sent it to me so that I can review it."  But she wasn't paying any attention to me. She had whipped out her phone and was sending the image of the … [Read more...] about The Zany Genius of Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes

The Darker Side of Greek Myths

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When I tour school children through our museum's classical galleries, I tread carefully around some of the uglier aspects of Greek mythology. I might say something like, "Zeus fell in love with Europa and took her to Crete." Or, "Zeus loved Leda and came to her as a swan, etc., etc."In other words, I tiptoe around the fact that the head god of the ancient Greeks was … [Read more...] about The Darker Side of Greek Myths